Football: Negredo suffers injury scare as City down Hearts

LONDON (AFP) - Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo suffered an injury scare as the Premier League champions won 2-1 in a friendly against Hearts on Friday.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side were beaten by Dundee on Monday, but they secured the first win of their pre-season campaign thanks to Aleksandar Kolarov’s late penalty at Tynecastle.

However, the result was overshadowed by an as yet unspecified injury to Negredo that forced the Spanish striker to limp off before half-time.

Negredo’s injury comes as City prepare to fly to the United States to continue their preparations for the start of the new Premier League season next month.

Although they were still missing the likes of Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero, rested after the World Cup, a strong City line-up featuring Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas and Javi Garcia took the lead through Scott Sinclair’s first half strike from a Negredo pass.

Pellegrini made 10 changes at half-time, sending on Kolarov, new midfielder Fernando and Montenegro striker Stevan Jovetic Osman Sow equalised for the Scottish Championship hosts in the 57th minute.

But Serbian defender Kolarov netted the winner 10 minutes from time when he converted a spot-kick following a foul on Emyr Huws.